Tehran, YJC. Julie Bishop is due in Tehran in April.
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop is
slated to visit Iran as the first senior Australian governmental official to do
so in more than a decade, the Australian news agency Sydney Morning Herald reported.
According to the news agency, the trip is being regarded as
a potential game-changer in the fight against the terrorist group ISIL, but it
could also lead to profitable economic opportunities for both countries.
Bishop’s visit comes as response to an invitation by her Iranian
counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The Australian Foreign Minister's trip to Iran will take
place in April, less than two months before the US and Iran reach a
self-imposed deadline for a comprehensive nuclear energy deal.
There are other legs to Bishop’s Middle East tour, the places she’ll visit are
likely to include Baghdad and the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
The last Australian foreign affairs minister to visit Tehran
was Alexander Downer in 2003.
Australia has maintained diplomatic relations with Tehran,
positioning this country well if a peaceful nuclear energy industry is agreed
on and harsh trade sanctions are lifted.